


Mamma and Daddy to the Rescue

by Floris_Oren



Series: The Continuing Adventures of Little!Tony [1]
Category: Avengers
Genre: Age Play, Bathing, Bruce Banner is mentioned, Clint gets into trouble, Coloring, Diapers, F/M, Hulk is mentioned, Little!Clint is bratty, Little!Tony isn't sure how to get to his head space anymore, Mamma!Nat, Spanking, Thomas the Tank Engine - Freeform, blocks, daddy!Phil, evil toy!Mr. Fantastic, no one is trying to replace Tony's Daddy, nothing too much, shy!tony, steve the babysitter, washing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-11
Updated: 2016-12-03
Packaged: 2018-04-20 06:11:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4776587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Floris_Oren/pseuds/Floris_Oren
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bruce decides that since Hulk has rejected Tony that he has to leave in order to help Tony find a way to cope. He asks Phil and Natasha to help Tony just in case he becomes Little. Nat and Phil decide to do more than that and invite Tony up for another play date. Little!Clint isn't too happy about this and shows it. </p><p>{This fic is a slight sequel to the Hulk's Little Boy series which I eneded yesterday. You don't have to read that because I think I explained the situation well enough, but if you want the previous adventers of Little!Tony, please go read that series anyway.}</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Like I said in the summary. This is a sequel fic to Hulk's Little Boy series. I didn't see that plot line going anywhere with Hulk involved and so things had to change. It's called an arch for reasons. lol. Anyway. Please enjoy.

Natasha circled the living room she shared with Clint; she’s deep in thought while Clint plays with his blocks. He’s happily humming to himself because Natasha is playing Pandora, a disney radio playlist she knows is safe for her Little right now.

But, it’s another Little that bothers her. She isn’t certain what Tony has done to help that part of himself since Hulk rejected him. Bruce had tried so hard to play with him but it hadn’t worked out for either of them and while Tony wasn’t mad at Bruce, Bruce felt that it would be best if he left an gave Tony the time he needed to work through it.

Of course he’d gone to Natasha, Clint and Coulson with his worries about leaving Tony without someone to make sure he was taken care of since Hulk’s rejection was so hard on him. They’d spent an evening talking about it, and they agreed that Nat and Coulson would do their best to help Tony.

“Mamma.” Clint looked up at her, looking worried. “Where’s Tony?”

Natasha blinked down at him. “Probably in the lab.” she said.

Clint nodded. Tony was off being big and missing out on playing blocks with him. That is Tony’s loss. Clint decides. Natasha sits down and starts to play with him. Feeling guilty that she hasn’t given him as much attention as he’s used to when they play.

“Don’t worry, baby doll.” Natasha says. “Daddy is going to get him to come and play with you.”

~*~

“Play with Clint?” Tony blinked through the schematic to Coulson. He wasn’t dressed in a suite today. Instead he wore jeans and a nice button down.

“I think it’d do you good if you continued to play.” Coulson replied.

Tony gulped and looked down at his hands. He felt like he was five and caught having done something bad. “You know?”

“Bruce talked to Natasha and I about it. He knew it’d be better if he left and let you work on this without Hulk around, but he didn’t want to leave you without a safety net.” Coulson replied.

“I….”

“It’s not your fault.” Coulson held up a hand. “and it’s my job to make sure this team works.”

“What about your other team?” Tony asked.

“They’re on a long break right now.” Coulson replied.

Tony nodded. He knew that they’d primarily managed themselves because Coulson was busy with Shield business. It was nice to have him around though.

“Well, I don’t...I mean…”

“We are different from Hulk. Not nearly as big. But we’d like to help as best we can.” Coulson offered.

Tony lent back in his chair and looked at the ceiling of his work shop. The embarrassment of being a grown man in a diaper, playing with children's toys suddenly cropped up. He had hoped he’d gotten over it. It hadn’t been bad to play with Clint when they’d had the play date.

He actually enjoyed it.

“Come up stairs and try for an afternoon. You don’t have to wear any children’s clothing or a diaper if you don’t want to.” Coulson offered.

Tony looked around and rubbed his hands, then he took a deep breath. He missed it. He missed it so much. Maybe this would be a good thing and the afternoon would only last for two more hours anyway.

“Okay.” Tony nodded.

Coulson rounded the desk and pulled Tony up. “Come on, let’s go play with Clint and see Mamma.” he said as he pulled Tony away from his work. JARVIS shut the workshop down and saved Tony’s progress.

“What am I supposed to call you?” Tony asked. He and Hulk had never talked about it. It just kind of happened.

Phil….because how could he think of the man as Coulson when they do a thing so intimate as age play?....looks back at him. He has a small smile playing on his face.

“It’s up to you, Tony.” Phil says. They’re in the elevator and it’s too late to turn back. Though he knew he could bow out at any moment he wanted.

They reached Nat and Clint’s level swiftly. I can Show you the World is playing softly in the background and Clint is demanding something from Nat who is glaring at him.

“When I say NO, I mean it.” Natasha says as Phil gently tugs Tony out of the elevator.

“Listen to your mother young man.” Phil says. Clint pouts but he nods. Natasha is putting a bowl of chocolate pudding away into the fridge. Tony can only guess at what Clint wanted. He decides not to ask questions when Natasha smiles at him.

“Hi, Tony.” she says. It’s a neutral tone she uses. She isn’t certain if he’s in his Little Space or not.

“Hi.” Tony says, shyly. He doesn’t feel Little but he could be soon enough if he lets it.

“Are you in your Little Space yet?” Phil asks.

Tony shakes his head.

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Natasha asked.

Tony glances at the floor more than at them and shakes his head. “I haven’t gotten the hang of slipping into it. I think I repress the urge and need to figure out how to just….let it happen…” he says. Quite red in the face by the time he finishes.

“Would it be fine if we treated you as if you were Little?” Phil asked.

Tony thought about it for a second. Hulk never actually worried about his headspace, he just did it. “Yeah. I think so.” Tony finally said.

“Okay. well, how about you go play with Clint. He loves blocks. Would you like to play blocks with him?” Natasha said. She drew him into the living room where Clint was playing.

Clint gave Tony a look, there’s a hint of mischief in it that Tony isn’t certain he trusts. He nods, but waits for Clint to move over on a dark red rug to invite Tony over himself. Natasha smiles when Clint does so.

“You two play nice, I am going to start dinner. No fighting. I am trusting you two to play alone. Okay?” they both nod at her. Then she leaves them to their own devices. Tony walks over to Clint. He feels Big but he tries to get into the hang of things.

“Mine!” Clint grabs a block out of Tony’s hand. Tony shoots him a glance. He doesn’t say anything as Clint continues to play with the blocks. He sits there for a few seconds. Obviously tattle-telling is a bad idea. All kids hate it. And he doesn’t want to start a fight with Clint. He wonders if this is Clint’s way of trying to help him get into his Little head space.

Tony reaches for another block that Clint doesn’t seem interested in at all. But that one is also snatched from his hands. Tony gets pinched in the middle. He hisses and slaps Clint’s hand away.

“Mine, you can’t touch!” Clint says low enough that Natasha doesn’t hear from the kitchen where she and Phil are talking about mundane, mommy and daddy, stuff.

Tony frowns; “I thought we were gonna play together.”

“No.” Clint frowned.

“Oh.” Tony sighs. He rests an elbow on his leg and his chin on his hand, he looks perfectly dejected to Clint who’s happy with the result.

Tony watches Clint play. Every time he tries to join in Clint knocks the block from his hand. So Tony turns to the other toys. He ever so slowly moves away from Clint so that he could play with something. He’s not Little but Natasha and Phil had invited him up to play and he did take them up on their offer. It’d be rude and hurt their feelings to walk out now without a good reason.

Clint being a brat is not a good reason.

Tony finds two cars not being played with. He would like to make the noises that go with the cars but he doesn’t want to bring Clint’s attention to him and the cars so he slowly drives them around while pretending the noises in his head.

Clint is narrating a story with some GI Joe action figures and Barbie dolls. He’s so into it that after a few moments Tony forgets about Clint and is embroiled in his own game. Tony pushes the toys about. He has the cars crash into each other, just to see which one would survive.

He didn’t see the block sailing towards his head until it hit him. It hurt. He glared up at Clint. Clint has his arms crossed.

“Don’t touch my toys!” Clint said. He snatched the cars up.

Tony is very tired of this.

“That’s not fair!” and maybe he was a bit louder than Clint wanted. Because Clint’s Parents step into the room. Looking miffed.

“What’s going on here?” Natasha asked.

“The truth if you please.” Phil nodded.

“He’s taking my toys!” Clint pointed at Tony.

“He won’t share! I didn’t take anything, he wasn’t playing with the cars and he didn’t want me to play with the blocks.” Tony explained.

“Still not in your head space, Tony?” Natasha asked.

“Uh, sorry.” Tony looks down and away.

“It’s fine. We’ll help you find it.” Phil said gently.

“But first, Clint” his voice is harsh. “What have we told you about sharing?”

Tony bit his lower lip, Clint probably never had someone over to play with. Maybe he wasn’t used to sharing his toys. Tony doesn’t know if he’d be any better at it or if it was Clint’s Little Space.

“To be kind and share.” Clint sighs.

“Were you not sharing the blocks?” Natasha asked.

Clint frowned but said; “No.”

“So Tony found toys you weren’t playing with instead of insisting that you share your toys, he was being kind and understood that you didn’t want to share. You can’t go taking toys you weren’t playing with.” Phil said.

“Yes Daddy.” Clint sighed.

“You’re going to be punished. Come here.” Phil said as he took a seat on the couch. Clint glared at Tony as he went over. Tony drew his legs up and his his face.

“Tony?” Natasha knelt down beside him. “What’s wrong dear?”

“It’s nothing.” Tony shook his head. “I just didn’t want Clint to get into trouble.”

Natasha clucked her tongue; “Dear, it isn’t your fault. We’ve had this talk with Clint before.He knows the rules. He didn’t follow them because he chose not to.”

Tony looked up at her. “But if I hadn’t been loud you and….” Tony glance at Phil still unsure as to what to call them.

“We needed to know.” Phil offered. Clint stands waiting for his next orders. Phil has him bend over his knees. “Five.” he says and pulls down Clint’s pants.

Tony is shocked. Clint is embarrassed and almost crying. Natasha puts her arm around him.

“This is for you too Tony, so you can learn the rules and see what will happen if you break our rules.” natasha said.

Tony nodded, that is quite nice of them. He never had that with Hulk. Then again communicating with Hulk was kind of hard. Hulk usually growled at him to get a point across. This was, different, but...Tony decided he could get used to it.

The spanking was over and done with in seconds and Clint pulls his pants up. He turns and approaches Tony. “Sorry,” he says in a small, shy voice. But he doesn’t mean it. Tony knows it but he nods an acceptance of the apology anyway. Natasha is giving Clint one of those looks, trying to decide if he’s faking it or if she should just let it go.

She pats Tony’s shoulder and stands; “Dinner is ready, can you two clean up please?”

Tony nods. That’s a directive that he knows Clint can’t have a problem with. Not after getting punished already. She leaves them for the kitchen again but Phil stays. He doesn’t help but Tony and Clint are able to make good time and soon enough the toys are put away in the bins and put away on the book shelf.

“Good job, boys, come on.” Phil takes their hands and leads them to the kitchen where Natasha is putting food onto plates. The boys are put into two high chairs. Tony wanted to ask how they knew he’d join them but decided against it. His Little Head Space was slightly there, not completely but he knew that if he started asking questions he’d lose it.

Dinner just so happened to be spaghetti and meatballs. Tony and Clint got covered with bibs and the sleeves of their shirts pulled up hopefully to make sure they didn’t get too messy. They were handed forks but Clint went at it with his hands. Tony watched for two seconds before he did so too.

Phil and Nat smiled at each other; maybe this would work after all.

~*~

Dinner pass with the boys not talking to each other. Clint, however, watched Tony closely. He didn’t like how Mamma and Daddy were paying attention to him. He wasn’t cute or anything nearly as much as Clint knew himself to be.

He decided that he needed to do something about it when Mamma and Daddy left the room. They took their plates to the kitchen. Clint had a bit of dinner left on his plate. He did the one thing he figured would get Tony into trouble.

~*~

“MAMMA!!! DADDDYYYYY!!!!” Little Clint called from the dining room. As if someone had broken in and he was in danger. Guns at the ready, the two trained SHIELD Agents rushed into the room. To find Tony and Clint still in their high chairs, spaghetti on the wall next to Tony - who also was covered in it - and Clint looking peevish because Tony had spilt his food all over the place. Or knowingly put it on the wall.

Natasha and Phil re holstered their guns.

“What happened here?” Natasha asked. “We were gone for two seconds, you know the rules.”

‘Tony do not.” Clint pointed at Tony who just stared down at his plate. His full plate. They’d been placed so that neither could reach the other and Clint’s plate was empty.

Phil gave the room a critical eye. Natasha went to the Kitchen to get a cloth to clean the boys up with. No dessert tonight it seemed. When she returned Tony is crying and Clint is looking pleased with himself.

“I wonder if it’s as clear as it seems.” she says to Phil. Phil nods.

“How about I stay here and clean up with Clint’s help and you take Tony for a bath?” Phil asked. “Or if you’d prefer I could.”

Natasha did not miss Clint cringing at that idea. She smirked a bit. “Oh, I don’t mind staying here and cleaning up.” - and yes, Clint certainly didn’t like that idea at all. Natasha wondered why he was making trouble when he’d already been punished once today. But she suspects it stemmed from an earlier conversation where he basically begged her to send Tony away.

Jealousy isn’t something she’ll tolerate.

“Very good. Tony, come on.” Phil said. He undid the tray and Tony slipped from his seat, still looking guilty as sin. Phil didn’t say anything as he led him out and to the bathroom. Leaving Natasha to deal with Clint’s behavior.

Once in the bathroom he ran the tub, he put strawberry bubbles into it and then helped Tony with his stained shirt. Most of the sauce had gotten onto his face and shoulder from where Clint had been sitting.

“Are you okay? Clint isn’t being very nice today.” Phil said.

Tony shook his head; “I made him mad.”

“Tony,” Phil said kindly as he helped Tony into the bath. “I think Clint had the problem before you came.”

“Huh?”

“Nevermind, the truth of the matter is he doesn’t want to share.”

“I know.” Tony said softly, quietly.

“It’s not your fault.” Phil said.

“So I’m not in trouble? I didn’t make the mess but Clint will say that I did.” Tony frowned.

“Mamma and I figured it out, we know Clint made the mess to try and get you into trouble.” Phil said. He scrubbed Tony clean and let him play with some bath toys. It was the first time Tony could play without having to worry about getting chastised for it. It wasn’t his fleet of rubber duckies, that now sat in a box in his lab, but that isn’t a problem. These ducks squirted water.

Phil watched him play and they stayed there for another half hour before Phil decided that bath playtime was over. Tony helped to put the toys away and Phil got him out of the bath. Phil found some new clothing outside the door along with some diaper rash cream, powder and a diaper.

“Do you want me to put this on you?” Phil asked as he held up the Diaper.

Tony thought about for two seconds, then nodded. Phil maKe quick work of it but Tony felt better for it and the PJ’s were Captain America and when the exited the bathroom there was Natasha with his Hulk-Teddy. She offered it to Tony who took it and cuddled it immediately. He tried not to cry. He missed Hulk so much.

“Would you like to color before bed?” Natasha asked.

“Where’s Clint?” Phil asked as Tony toddled over to Natasha and took her hand.

“He went to bed early. Maybe you should go talk to him.” she suggested.

Phil nodded. Natasha took Tony to the Living room so he could color and he went in the direction of the Nursery. There’s a second bed set up there. Clint is in the sports car toddler bed - made a tiny bit bigger for a grown adult - and he’s sniffling.

“Clint?”

“Daddy…?”

“I hope we can do better tomorrow.” Phil said as he sat down on the floor next to the bed. “You didn’t have a problem when you were Big about this, what changed your mind today?”

“I don’t share.” Clint muttered.

“But you know that’s the right thing to do.” Phil pointed out.

“Yes.” Clint nodded. The blankets are high enough that Phil can’t see his face.

“What did Mamma say?” Phil asked.

“She said I is bad to be mean and try ta get Tony inta trouble.” Clint sniffles.

“Mamma is right. You know better, and we know better. Tony lost his Daddy. We’re not trying to replace his Daddy, we’re just trying to help him cope. Do you understand?”

Clint nods.

“Okay, tomorrow will be better.” Phil patted Clint’s leg. He gave him a hug and kiss and left.

He sat in the living room with Natasha and Tony until seven thirty when Natasha declared it was time for Tony to go to bed. Tony stood and went to the elevator but Natasha took his hand.

“There’s a bed here if you want to stay the night. Clint will be nice tomorrow.” she promised, the conviction in her tone told Tony that if Clint wasn’t that she’d also be having a conversation with his back side.

Tony blinked, but nodded. Natasha took him down the hall. They were quiet as they entered. Clint is snoring lightly from the other bed and Tony obediently crawls into the second one. Natasha softly whispers a bedtime story to him. Something Tony hadn’t experience from Hulk.

Soon enough he’s yawning and sucking his thumb. It’s different, not having a bottle or a pacifier. But he finds he doesn’t miss it. That it’s better Natasha and Phil didn’t give him those things. Those only Hulk could do. But this, yeah, maybe this did help. Even if Clint had been a little terror.

Natasha kisses his forehead. She leaves one on Clint too. He mutters a soft “Sorry” but soon falls back asleep. She turns the nightlight on. Leaving the galaxy glowing above them. Then leaves.

She joins Phil in the living room. She curls into his side and rests her head on his shoulder.

“That was something.” she said.

“Yeah.” Phil agreed.

“And tomorrow?” she asked.

Phil shrugged and held her closer; “They’ll be fine.”

natasha nodded. They watched tv for a bit before they too went to bed.

Back in the nursery Tony watches the artificial galaxy above him. He hears the TV but doesn’t get up to investigate, he hears them go to bed as well. And he then he yawns. Everything is quiet and Tony decides that tomorrow he’s going to share Hulk-Teddy with Clint. Maybe if he shows Clint that he doesn’t mind sharing, Clint won’t be so jealous over Natasha and Phil making over him since he doesn’t have his Daddy anymore.

With that plan set in mind. Tony falls asleep quickly.

**  
  
  
  
  
**


	2. working out the kinks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil and Nat work to help Tony. Tony get's a baby sitter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, okay, okay....don't kill me because Clint isn't in this chapter. I will deal with things between him and Tony. I swear.

The next morning, Tony woke early. He left Natasha and Phil's level for his pent house where he stripped, got rid of the evidence and took a long - very hot - shower. Yesterday had been a complete and total bust. Tony isn't certain if he even wants to re-engage them with that level of play.

~*~

Steve Rogers is not the kind of man who will notice someone in trouble and not help them out. Bucky always said that Steve had a Hero-Complex. Steve had to agree with that to a point but he'd always have to say that he inherited it from his mother so Bucky can't be too harsh about it.

And with Bucky in the wind doing whatever ex-Hydra, Brainwashed assassins do - and not bothering to let Steve know, damn it. - Steve is stuck at base. Being bored. Oh, he tries hard not to show it. He goes on missions, takes runs with Sam and spars with Nat and Clint. And he'll fill out all the paper work, in triplicate, for Phil. Just the way the man likes it. Steve doesn't mind making life easier for the SHIELD Agent at all.

But, there's something going on and Steve doesn't know what it is and it bugs him. Not that he doesn't know what it is, that he can't fix it. Because his team mates are in trouble and he's Captain America and....

"Hey."

It's not often that someone can sneak up on Steve, and not take a hit for it. Steve held that instinct in because the voice is Tony's; who now stands behind Steve, empty coffee cup in hand. He looks small and he's wear Star Wars flannel pj pants with a tank top and he's greasy and not only needs to sleep but he needs to bath and eat. Not in that order.

Steve plasters an Oscar Award winning smile on his face and opens his mouth; "I'm gonna make blue berry pancakes, want some?"

Tony blinked, thought about it, then nodded. Steve's smiled turned into a real grin. The Genius went about making a fresh pot of coffee while Steve gathered all the things he'd need to make a very, decent, breakfast for Tony.

"So, are you alright?" Steve asked. It'd taken him fifteen minutes to get a good pile of steamy goodness onto a plate for Tony, the man drizzled it in syrup and took a huge bite. He waited until he had swallowed before answering.

"What gave you the impression that I'm not?" Tony asked.

"Well...I didn't think it had anything to do with you until now." Steve replied, making extra because if he knew his team at all, and he did, the moment they found out he was cooking they'd be here en mass. "I kinda figured something was going on because Clint, Phil and Nat have been acting weird."

"How so?" Tony tried to come off as curious. But Steve picked up that Tony was hiding something.

"Nat is standoffish to Clint, so is Phil. I mean, Clint isn't due a SHIELD Physical or a Field test for another six months, and he left for it yesterday." Steve said.

"Wait, Clint isn't here?" Tony asked.

"Have you been hiding from him?" Steve asked.

"Well...kind of..." Tony went red in the face.

"If I can do anything to fix it, Tony, you know I would." Steve replied. He had his own plate by now and was swallowing just as much as he was talking.

"Well...I...." Tony shook his head. "Breakfast is enough for now." Tony replied.

Steve nodded; willing to let the dead dog lie until Tony decided to bring it up with him.

~*~

Phil entered the pent house just as Tony arrived, the man was dressed in a business suit and stress. Phil could read it all over Tony's, lean, frame. Phil crowded Tony to the couch, a light touch on the Genius' shoulder had him sitting down. Phil sat on the coffee table so that they were facing each other.

"Rough day at the work, kiddo?" Phil asked.

Tony gave him a pointed glare; "I'm sorry but I don't..."

"Don't want? talk?" Phil challenged.

"It's not going to work."

"Not with that attitude, Mister." Phil replied easily. He sat down on the couch and patted his lap. Tony blinked.

"You are not serious." he deadpanned.

"I am all the time, which is why the play I have with Clint and Natasha helps me unwind.." Phil replied.

"So this...." Tony gestured with his hands, looking for the correct word.

"Age play." Phil supplied.

"Thank you." Tony nodded; "Anyway, I don't think it will work. Clint..."

"That's my fault." Phil interrupted. "I and Natasha thought we'd talked Clint through and about it enough, but obviously we failed. He's a little jealous due to childhood issues, and he doesn't want to share us."

"I know." Tony sighed.

"Tony, would you like me to get Bruce?"

"And do what? Bruce never....well...it was always..."

"And the Hulk isn't comfortable with it." Phil finished.

"Right. And besides it was all HYDRA being dicks." Tony frowned.

"Would you want to try it with someone else?"

"Who else? You and Nat again?"

"Maybe not us, I wouldn't be opposed to a scene between you and I, but Clint is still upset that we tried to make him share us with you."

"I figured as much." Tony nodded. "The only thing he could control was his toys, hence why he didn't want me to play with them. Not that I care." Tony   
huddled in on himself.

"I know." Phil leaned forwards, "but, you need this. And I'm sorry about Clint."

"I don't need this, age play, thing." Tony glared and got to his feet. Only Phil toppled him back onto the couch. Phil is straddling Tony. Tony tried to push him off; Phil captured Tony's wrists and held them down to his sides. Tony had no where to escape to and honestly didn't even feel like trying.

"I think you do." Phil said. Soft. Caring. Tony almost cried.

"Agent?" his voice sounded small.

"Hmmmm....?" Phil encouraged.

"Okay, so say that I do need this, I don't know....Hulk had a certain thing he did and I just got used to it and..."

"We probably didn't treat you as young as we should have, the young that Hulk pushed you into. Let's not lie. It wasn't consensual in the beginning." Phil said.

"Well....it wasn't sex."

"And? what's the difference?" Phil asked.

"And what about what you're doing now?" Tony asked pointedly.

"Please, if I let you run away now you won't ever talk about it and I may as well give up. Nope. Now, you want to try it out with someone else?"

"Not...I don't...." Tony sighed. "I don't know."

"Look, baby." Phil slipped into his Daddy voice and it did things to Tony he would never admit to, ever. "Your Mommy and I are going out tonight and so you're going to have a baby sitter." Phil said.

Tony licked his lips, but nodded. Phil smiled.

~*~

Setting up didn't take long. Nat materialized after Tony agreed to it and she got him ready. For the second time that day Tony found himself in the bathroom. Nat coos at him, and washes him delicately. Then she dries and diapers him. She dresses Tony in a Winnie the Pooh footie pj's and brings him - by the hand - to the living room where a play land has been set up.

Tony's nursery as a baby hadn't had that many toys, a few books and a Captain America action figure had been his only company. This had everything a kid could ever want and probably some dreamed of; a train track, trains that were battery powered, blocks, books, action figures of all sorts, My Little Pony - vintage no less, just because - and Tony couldn't figure out what to say.

"Tony?" Phil came out of the kitchen, a plastic plate in one hand and a sippy-cup in the other.

"Thank you." Tony whispered, still awed by the toy land.

"You're welcome. Now, here's your snack, and the baby sitter will be here soon." Phil said. Nat invited Tony to sit by the toys and have his snack. Tony was very careful not to get the crumbs of the fish crackers on the beige carpet. The juice was red, which Tony was still very careful with; making messes was not a good thing.

Nat smiled at Phil. Maybe they had just cracked the case. She at least hoped they did.

That's when the elevator dinged, opened, and Steve stepped out. 


	3. Captain Baby Sitter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Babysitters have very important jobs. Save toys from certain doom. And indulging kids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not my best work, but for right now it's all I've got. :)   
> Enjoy.

Steve made sure to wear the baggiest clothing he could find. Sadly his jeans were still ass-tight, but the Care bears hoodie was big enough to cover most of the muscle. 

 

Earlier that afternoon Natasha had shown up; she explained the situation and now breakfast with Tony made more sense. What also made sense was that he’d spent a week in his lab, not talking to anyone. So that explained his appearance. 

 

He had forgotten time again. 

 

To make matters a bit more hectic; Clint was being difficult. Steve tried to see everyone’s side of things. Bruce had ran away from his problems - due to Hydra but everyone tended to run from their problems so that wasn’t surprising, really - Clint is also running away because he can’t find a way to sympathise with Tony. Which makes sense if one looks at his history with the Circus. Tony also had his own parental issues. 

 

Natasha and Coulson just wanted to help Tony get over it as much as he could. Maybe it was the scene. Maybe scenes - as Natasha had explained it - tended to be harder emotionally and if anyone got used to it, but then dropped by their…..top/master/daddy? - he didn’t know….

 

Well. Tony needed help adjusting and a teenaged Steve Rogers was just what he needed. Only, when he was a teenager, he was scrounging around for materials to help the war effort, or knitting. Well, when he wasn’t sick. 

 

JARVIS helped him do a bit of research. Apparently, being on the phone with one’s boyfriend had been a favorite pastime for babysitters of the 80’s and 90’s. Well. he didn’t have a boyfriend. So that left that out. 

 

Natasha had just said all he had to do was feed Tony and play with him. It didn’t sound too hard. As so, at six o’clock on the dot. Steve show up at the penthouse. 

 

Tony is on the floor playing with trucks and trains. The story line is out of sync but that doesn’t matter to the kid. Natasha and Coulson are dressed for a night at the Opera. 

 

“Here is twenty for pizza,” Natasha said. “Bedtime is at eight-thirty.” she winked. 

 

“Sure, Ma’am.” Steve said, picking up on the setting. 

 

“Good, have fun, Tony please listen to Steve.” Coulson said as he and Natasha bundled themselves off into the elevator that Steve had just vacated. 

 

“O’tay!” Tony called back. 

 

Steve gulped, suddenly, he didn’t feel confident at all. 

 

~*~

 

Tony is not in his headspace at all. It’s not a problem per se. It’s more of a challenge. He plays with the toys, now that he is alone with noone to bother sharing with; he doesn’t have to worry about being too loud. 

 

“Hey buddy, mind if I join you?” Steve, the babysitter asked. He was wearing a Grumpy the Bear sweatshirt. And his hair is a bit of a mess, but his smile and eyes are gentle. Tony flushes. 

 

“This isn’t working.” he muttered. 

 

“That’s okay.” Steve said. He sat down on the floor. “I didn’t get to do stuff like this as a kid. We didn’t have such cool toys. I was always sick, Mom was always working…..don’t get that wrong. She was a great mom.” 

 

Tony cocked his head to the side; “Do you wanna see this through?” 

 

“If it’s okay with you, I think we should give it a try. Afterall maybe something will trip you into the…. _ whatyamacallit _ .” Steve shruggs. 

 

Tony looks at the tank engine in his hand. Then nodded. 

 

“Okay, here is what’s happening…” Tony laid out the massive plot line where Thomas and his friends have to save the Island of Sodor from a meteroite that was launched into space no thanks to “That meanie head mr. Fantastic….” 

 

So now they had to save the island. 

 

The next hour was spent with “false” saves, only for a bigger and bigger meteor to start hurtling it’s way towards the lovely island. Until finally Evil mr. Fantastic decided to destroy it with the sun!

 

“Wait, wait…” Steve called a halt to the game. “If we destroy the sun to save Sodor, won’t that still destroy Sodor because sun?” 

 

Tony frowned. “Hmmmmm….all of ‘manity could be wiped off the face of the planet….” 

 

Yes, it was a puzzlement. 

 

Jarvis chimed in; “If I may, possibly you two could think over the problem while you have some pizza. I just ordered Young Master’s favorite.” 

 

“Cheese!?” Tony asked excitedly. 

 

“Indeed, and one hawaiian with anchovies.” Javis said. 

 

“Will the…” Steve knew that two pizza’s had to be more than the twenty Natasha gave him. 

 

“It’s already been paid for. There is milk and soda in the fridge.” JARVIS replied. 

 

In the end Steve just gave the delivery person the whole twenty. That’ll endear him to the pizza shop for sure. 

 

They decided to eat their pizza spread out on an old sheet on the living room floor. Doc McStuffins is playing on the tv and honestly the show isn’t half bad. Steve avails himself of the soda, because he’s supposed to be a teen boy. And Tony wanted milk. For real. 

 

After dinner and cleaning up. They have forgotten their game of Destroy Sodor in favor of coloring. Chatting here or there. And drawing whatever they could. Steve sketches Tony. He goes for a more younger version without the goatee. Chubby, three year old Tony engrossed in playing cars. It’s very detailed by the time Jarvis reminds him of the bedtime. 

 

Tony goes easily. He gets a bath, with water toys. He gets a half hour since it was seven-thirty when they had started. Next he gets Obi-Wan Kenobi pj’s - basically consists of Ewan McGregor’s face all over it with a lightsaber held menacingly. Then a bedtime story. Or several as it turned out but eventually Steve was able to tuck him in. And sneak out of the room. But not before turning on the nightlight. 

 

Steve slips back to the living room where he cleans up the mess of coloring supplies. He puts Tony’s pictures up on the fridge, because apparently that’s a thing in these modern ages. Then he carefully slips his sketch into a picture frame. It didn’t seem to do any good showing the car and it was the perfect size for it. This, he put on one of the side tables. 

 

Tony was just too cute for his own good. 

 

And in the end, even though neither of them achieved whatever Natasha or Coulson had wanted. They had done something nonetheless. 

 

And so what if Sodor is saved, in the end, by the power puff girls. At least the toys get to live to play another day and Tony a nice evening. 

 


End file.
